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Dispelling Darkness, May 23
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen
upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory
shall be seen upon thee.
Isaiah 60:1, 2
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The church has been appointed as the medium through which divine light
is to shine into the moral darkness of this world, and the peace-giving beams
of the Sun of righteousness fall upon the hearts of men. Personal labor with
individuals and with families constitutes a part of the work to be done in
God’s moral vineyard. The meekness, the patience, the forbearance, the love
of Christ must be revealed in the homes of the land. The church must arise
and shine. Radiant with the Spirit and power of the truth, the people of God
must go forth to a world lying in darkness, to make manifest the light of the
glory of God. God has given to men noble powers of mind to be employed to
His honor; and in the missionary work these powers of mind are called into
active exercise. Wise improvement and development of the gifts of God will
be seen in His servants. Day by day there will be growth in the knowledge of
Christ.
He who once spake as never man spake, who wore the garb of humanity, is
still the Great Teacher. As you follow in His footsteps, seeking the lost, angels
will draw near, and through the illumination of the Spirit of God, greater
knowledge will be obtained as to the best ways and means for accomplishing
the work committed to your hands....
Those who should have been the light of the world have shed forth but
feeble and sickly beams. What is light? It is piety, goodness, truth, mercy,
love; it is the revealing of the truth in the character and life. The gospel is
dependent on the personal piety of its believers for its aggressive power, and
God has made provision through the death of His beloved Son, that every
soul may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work. Every soul is to be
a bright and shining light, showing forth the praises of Him who has called
us out of darkness into His marvelous light.—
The Review and Herald, March
24, 1891
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